A Taste of Shadow
by BigBadWolfyBoy
Summary: New BB & Rae story. Old enemies and a new romance. Please R&R. No flames. Feedback is much appreciated. It shall determine whether or not I will continue. NEW TITLE! No longer "Untitled".
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Hey everyone! Ok, here's a new story. Please R&R. No flames. I suck at fight scenes so please forgive me for the lack of description in the flashback.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Teen Titans.

* * *

God did it hurt. The pain was nothing he'd ever experienced in his lifetime. Sure, it'd hurt when he'd first been learning to use his powers, the metamorphosis reeking absolute havoc on his mind and body, but this…this was far worse. Emerald eyes looked around, but he couldn't make out anything clearly, everything around him was distorted.

"How long since he's been hit?" the doctor asked, looking to the four other Titans that followed the stretcher the changeling lay on.

"Fifteen, twenty minutes at the least," came their leaders voice.

"We were unable to get to our friend any sooner," came Star's concerned tone.

He blinked, trying to get things to focus, but his mind refused to obey the command. His mind was spinning, whirling with thoughts. Was this how he was going to die? Beaten, broken, and battered to death? This wasn't how he was supposed to die. He was supposed to have kids, grandchildren, and die peacefully in his sleep in his old age. Not now at the ripe age of twenty.

"What happened?" the doctor asked.

"Ambush," came a gravely, voice. A voice that was distinct to his ears.

More people crowded around him and he felt himself being moved from the stretcher to a more solid surfaces. A prick in his hand from a needle made his mind register that someone had hooked him up to an IV. An oxygen mask was placed over his nose and mouth, and the sound of his tattered uniform being ripped open occurred.

He knew his teammates weren't far from him. Though every one's voice sounded like that one teacher from The Peanuts who know one could understand, Gar knew that they were near.

"Mr. Logan," a voice said and Gar forced his eyes open then squinted, making out the silhouette of the doctor. "You've been badly injured. We're going to need to take you up to surgery, do you understand?"

Garfield look at him, straining now to translate his words, to make them clear, and then nodded.

"I'm going to give you something for the pain," the doctor explained. "You just hold on. You'll be all right."

* * *

Robin paced furiously in the waiting area, wearing a hole into the ground. Starfire sat in a chair, flipping through a magazine, even though her eyes were watching her boyfriend as he paced. Cyborg was leaning up against the wall, looking down to the floor, arms crossed over his metal chest. And Raven…she sat a few chairs away from the others. She could feel the flood of their emotions – anger, worry, anxiety, and many more. The violet-haired mage let out a long sigh, closing her eyes and setting her head in her hands.

Of all of them, Raven found herself feeling the most responsible for what had happened to Beast Boy. It'd all started off like any other day…but of all people, Raven should've known how quickly things could change.

_"Dude, no way! Aliens was far better than the first one," Beast Boy said. He and Cyborg had gotten into a heated discussion about movie sequels._

_Cyborg snorted. "Please. Sequels are the lesser equivalent to the first movie."_

"_Nuh-uh! What about Terminator 2? Far better than the first. Or…or…" Beast Boy stopped, brows furrowing as he reached for a few more movie titles._

"_Or what?" that victorious grin had began to form on Cyborg's face._

_"The Mummy Returns."_

_"What? C'mon man, we both know that that movie is only better in one way - Rachel Weisz looks ten times hotter."_

_"Fine, what about The Godfather Part II? The Lord of the Rings movies…The Original Star Wars Trilogy…?"_

"_Wait a minute, B. You can't count Trilogies. They don't count."_

"_Fine. Uh…" A hand moved up to rub the back of his neck. "Well there's…"_

"_See. My point exactly. You struggle to come up with answers."_

_Beast Boy huffed. "Whatever, dude."_

_Raven watched as Beast Boy moved to sit on the couch in the common room and began flipping through the T.V. channels, muttering something. She'd actually been watching the "disagreement" and had become slightly amused. And here she thought that Beast Boy didn't have any taste. Well, at least not when it came to cheesy horror movies. _

_She looked to Cyborg who had a sly grin on his face. "So, B., what do you think about remakes?"_

_Beast Boy looked over to his best friend. "Don't even get me started."_

_Cyborg laughed heartily. Beast Boy's mouth opened to say something but the all too familiar alarm sounding cut him off. Raven stood up from the table and moved over to the computer, the sound of the Common Room door's swooshing open alerted the others that their leader and Star had arrived._

"_Who is it?" Robin asked, looking to Raven._

"_Dr. Light."_

"_Oh good, this'll be an easy one. Raven will just scare the crap out of him again and make him want to go to jail," said Beast Boy, smiling, a fang protruding as he did so._

"_So where is he?" Robin asked._

"_He's…" Raven's eyes widened and all the lights in the tower flickered off. "Here."_

"_Huh?" the rest said in unison. This was a bold move for the villain, far too bold. The sound of footsteps stomped down the halls. Dr. Light wasn't alone. In fact, it sounded as though he had an entire infantry with him. The five friends looked at each other, each positioning themselves in the proper manner._

_The Common Room doors exploded open with a blast of blinding light and within moments, the Titans found themselves up against Dr. Light and an army of mechanical soldier's. _

_There was a feeling of déjà vu. The mechanical soldier's attacking the tower caused Raven to remember when Slade had pulled the same stunt. Her black energy surrounded as many as her powers would allow her, but they kept coming, an endless flow taking over. Raven was knocked to the ground by the good aim of Dr. Light and her head was swimming._

"_Raven!" shouted Beast Boy, who quickly changed into a grizzly bear, jumped over to her side, and began swiping at their foe. The maniacal chuckle that left the villain caused a cold feeling to run through Raven and before she could say or do anything, she saw her friend being thrown into a wall and heard his scream of pain as Dr. Light's electricity surged through his body._

_Everything was a blur after that. Every attempt they made to get to his unconscious form was prolonged._

She sighed once again and ran her hands through her now shoulder length hair. He'd saved her. He'd jumped directly into the line of fire for her. She glanced to the clock on the wall, watching it tick away the time. _Beast Boy, please hang on,_ she thought.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Thanks to all my reviewers! I really appreciate the input. So here's another chapter. As always, let me know what you think and I'm open to suggestions for a title for the story.

**Disclaimer:** Nope, don't own 'em.

* * *

His sensitive ears picked up the beeping of the machines surrounding him as he drowsily blinked his eyes open. The fluorescent lighting stung and he quickly shut them, trying to mutter a curse but found his mouth to be far too dry to make any sort of word. He waited a few moments, trying to gather himself before he opened one eye and then another, looking about, his surroundings slowly but surely coming into focus.

The sterile smell of Jump City Hospital wafted into his nose, causing him to scrunch it up in disgust; he'd always hated the smell of hospitals. His neck was stiff and hurt as he did his best to turn his head to one side then the other as he looked for anyone who might've been in the room, but he found that he was all alone.

Gar knew that his friends were probably outside stressing everyone out in the waiting room. He could see it now, Dick pacing like a madman, Vic staring off into space or fighting with Dick, the two young men blaming each other for one thing or another, Star either crying or trying to calm down the other two boys, and Raven…well, he wasn't sure what she would be doing. He'd never been able to predict her actions.

He wasn't sure how long it'd been since the attack, but he'd felt as though he'd been asleep for a long time. Normally he wouldn't have cared, but this was a different situation. Gar wanted to know if he was all right and would be ready for active duty any time soon. His right hand moved out, searching for the call button for a nurse and after a few minutes he finally found it. He pressed down on the button and when no one came immediately, Gar pressed it again.

Finally, a nurse with long blonde hair and amazing blue eyes walked in with a sweet smile on her face. "Well, it's nice to know that you're awake, Mr. Logan. You've had us worried these past few days."

_Days? Did she just say days?_ He thought, some part of him panicking. "H-ho…" He cleared his throat. "How long have I been out?" he finally managed to croak out, his voice just above a whisper.

The nurse walked over to a table where a pitcher of water sat, poured him a glass, and then helped him to take a sip of it, which Gar was all too thankful for, the cool liquid extinguishing the burning sensation in his throat.

"Four days," she finally answered. "Your friends have been by many times to see you." She gave him a friendly smile. "Now, I'll go inform the doctor that you're up, he'll come in and take a look at you, and I'll also notify your friends, all right?"

He smiled and gave a nod. He watched as the nurse walked out of the room, then let out a deep sigh.

"Four days," he repeated. _I wonder how the others have been..._

* * *

Raven looked into her teacup, watching the spoon as she stirred and stirred, like she had been doing for the past five minutes. The Common Room was unusually quiet and as much as she had once longed for the silence, Raven found that it just didn't seem the same without videogames being played or arguing occurring over God knows what between Vic and Garfield.

"Man, this place sure isn't the same, is it?" asked Dick, who'd been watching Raven.

"Huh?" she asked, finally looking up and meeting his gaze.

The corners of his lips quirked upwards. "The silence. It gets to you."

"I…" She sighed. "Yeah, it does," she replied sadly.

"Don't worry, Raven. Gar will be fine. He's a strong one, a fighter. And don't you be feeling guilty for what happened."

"I'm not," she said defensively.

"Raven, we have a bond. I can feel it. You've been blaming yourself."

Her eyes narrowed and she ended up spitting out, "Haven't you?"

Dick frowned. "Yes. I have."

Raven knew she'd stepped out of line. She didn't what was wrong with her. Sure, her and Gar had always had each other's backs but…what he'd done. It could've killed him…it almost did. And at that thought she found herself becoming swept up in a whirlwind of emotion because he'd been foolish enough to do something so irrational. She sighed deeply. No, he hadn't been irrational. He'd just done his job.

She looked up to her leader. "I was out of line."

"Don't worry about it, Raven. We're all a little on edge," Dick said reassuringly.

Just then the phone rang and Dick got up from his place at the table then picked it up.

"Hello? Yes. Really? Well, that's great!" He said and at that statement Raven felt something within her perk up. "We'll be down as soon as we can. Ok. Thank you." He hung up.

"Well?"

He turned to her and smiled. "He's up. We can go see him. I'll go tell the others."

And with that Dick practically ran out of the room to go tell his friends the good news, leaving Raven to sit alone at the table. She felt a wave of relief wash over her at the news and suddenly she felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

She'd never gone with the others to see him. She'd always waited until nighttime, when she could have privacy. Raven had even begun to talk to him a bit, hoping that somehow he could hear her words. The feelings she'd started to feel after Gar had been hurt were new and confusing. Everytime she'd stepped into the elevator to return to the Hospital lobby, some part of her had felt foolish. Who ever had spent time managing to confuse a man who was completely out of it? Let alone, when did Raven start to feel the need to know that he was just there, alive, safe.

_Her violet-blue eyes watched as his chest rose up and down evenly, almost in rhythm with the heart monitor. A pale hand had reached out to take a hold of his strong green one, holding it gently. She scooted herself and her chair a bit closer, her eyes moving to look over his face. He looked so still, peaceful, calm - three words Raven never would've dreamed that she'd use to describe the happy-go-lucky, ADHD Beast Boy. _

_Stubble had sprouted on his chin. Every night she'd look at him and find something that she'd never noticed before. A scar, a shade of green a bit darker than another, the patch of fine hair that had grown on his nose, giving him a more beastly look. And as she looked him over, Raven found that each individual charateristic that stood out to her made her realize how much he'd truly changed over the past two years. _

"Yo Raven!" came Vic's voice, snapping her out of the memory. "Let's go! B.B.'s waitin'!"


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Sorry for the lateness in updating. Some in real life issues came up. Also, sorry for a short chapter. I'll try to make it up to you guys with the next one…hopefully. Please R&R! Oh! And thank you to all my reviewers! You guys rock!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Teen Titans.

* * *

Gar had never been so happy to be in the Titans Medbay. There were no unfamiliar smells, no odd noises. There was himself, the sound of the monitors, and the TV, Vic had put in the room for him. The doctors had instructed him to lay off on crime fighting for at least another few months, which left him rather sore; he enjoyed his work as a Titan. However, Kid Flash had come to the tower to fill in until Gar was fully healed.

A sigh left him as he flipped through the channels, trying to find something to watch. Everyone was asleep in the tower, or so he thought. He was quite surprised when the Medbay doors opened to reveal Raven. He stared at her before the corners of his lips quirked upwards.

"Hey Rae. What are you doing up?" he asked, a green brow rising in curiosity.

"Just couldn't sleep," she replied as she moved closer to him, coming to stand at the side of the bed. The two watched each other in silence for a moment before Raven turned her attention to the TV. "So, anything good on?"

"Nothing's caught my attention so far." He watched her. "So, uh, why'd you decide to come visit me? I mean, wouldn't you rather be meditating somewhere quiet?"

Raven looked to him. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something."

"Ok." Gar pressed the mute button then looked back to her. "Go ahead and shoot."

"Why?"

His brows knitted. "Why what?"

"Why'd you do it? What you did…it nearly killed you."

"What was I supposed to do, Rae? Just stand by and let Dr. Light fry you? I couldn't do that. We're friends…and a team. We look out for one another."

She looked down to the tile floor, silence falling between them once more. A stray strand of lilac hair fell loose and slender digits moved to tuck it back behind her ear.

"You scared me," she admitted. "We all thought that we were going to lose you, Garfield."

"Hey, you know it'd take more than that to keep me down." He sighed lightly. "Raven, don't worry. Look, I'm right here, talking to you…and we're not even arguing."

Her gaze moved back to him and she allowed herself to give him a small smile. "Yeah, who would've thought the day would come when we wouldn't be arguing?"

A chuckle escaped him. "Yeah, who would've thunk it."


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** Hi everyone! Ok, here's another chapter for ya! Let me know what you think!

**Disclaimer:** Nope, still don't own 'em. Just the idea for the story.

* * *

Beast Boy had been quite pleased that Raven's late night visits had continued over the course of a week. The two had actually come to do more talking than fighting, discovering that there was indeed a middle ground for them. He wasn't sure why he'd started to feel so comfortable around Raven or even when, but Gar wasn't complaining. It was definitely more refreshing to be talking instead of fending off insults and similar barbs to his self-esteem or ego.

"So Starfire decided that she's going to set me up with some random guy," Raven said in an annoyed tone.

An emerald brow rose in a mix of surprise and curiosity. "Wait, what do you mean 'some random guy'? As in she's going to pick a stranger off the street and ask them if they want to go out with you?"

Raven nodded. "Yes, that's exactly what I mean. She's says that it's time that I stopped with the moping around and came to know the joyous feelings attached with having the boyfriend."

He let out a laugh, shaking his head lightly. "Star sure can be crazy sometimes."

"Yeah. And besides, no one would want to go out with me."

Gar met Raven's gaze. "Sure they would."

"No they wouldn't…and even if someone did I don't have room in my life for such a thing. I'm not even supposed to feel emotions and certainly not love."

He sighed, "You know, Rae, you remind me of this poem I read once…"

"You read? And a poem no less? Impressive," she said.

His brow furrowed as he thought. "How'd it go? Oh yeah!

'For shame, deny that thou bear'st love to any

Who for thyself art so unprovident.

Grant if thou wilt, thou art beloved of many,

But that thou non lov'st is most evident;

For thou art so possessed with murd'rous hate,

That 'gainst thyself thou stick'st not to conspire,

Seeking that beauteous roof ruinate,

Which to repair should be they chief desire.

O, change thy thought, that I may change my mind.

Shall hate be fairer lodged than gentle love?

Be as thy presence is, gracious and kind,

Or to thyself as least kind-hearted prove.

Make thee another self for love of me,

That beauty still may live in thine or thee.'"

Raven's eyes had gone wide as she listened to her teammate recite the poem. Her mouth agape, for he had struck her speechless. He flashed her a smile and it was quickly fading as he realized that perhaps he'd managed to stick his foot in his mouth.

"Uh, Raven? What's wrong?"

"Gar…do-do you know what you just recited?" Raven asked, finally finding her voice.

"A poem…?"

"You just recited one of William Shakespeare's Sonnets. They're poems of love." A quizzical look formed on her face. "Since when do you read Shakespeare?"

Gar offered her a sheepish smile. "Well, I, uh, I've been reading more and more. You know all that time I was spending in my room before this whole accident happened? Well, I've been reading the classics and poetry. I like Shakespeare's stuff."

She continued to watch him, stunned. She suddenly found herself having a newfound respect for Beast Boy.

"What else have you been reading?"

He let out a sigh. "That's a long list."

"It's a long night," she replied.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** Sorry for the lateness in updating. Some in real life issues came up. Also, sorry for a short chapter. I'll try to make it up to you guys with the next one…hopefully. Please R&R! Oh! And thank you to all my reviewers! You guys rock!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Teen Titans.

* * *

Gar stared at Raven, wide-eyed, jaw dropped, and the most dumbfounded expression the changeling had managed to produce in the time they'd known each other. He just couldn't believe it. Raven had gone on a…a…date? And with some random guy that Starfire had picked out for her.

"You can stop gawking, you know," she said, crossing her arms over her chest and shooting her fellow teammate an irritated look. The waves of shock were coming off him as if the news had suddenly caused a tsunami to occur.

"Uh, wait…" Gar said as he leaned back on the common room couch. His stay in the Titan's Medbay had finally ended and he'd decided that he was strong enough to get from his room to the common room on his own now. "I mean…I just can't believe you actually…had a good time."

Raven's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying that I'm incapable of having a good time?"

"Well, according to what you've always said you haven't been able to allow yourself to feel because your powers would go all wonky."

She sighed, leaning into the cushions a bit more. "Yes, that's true, but since we defeated my father I've been able to slowly but surely allow myself to feel things to a reasonable degree." She watched her green friend closely. "What's really bothering you about the whole thing, Garfield?"

"Everything," Gar stated bluntly. "I mean, first you say that you don't want to feel love, that you can't. You also say that you wouldn't agree to Star's outrageous idea of hooking you up with a complete stranger…and yet, you went!" Gar wasn't sure what it was, but something within him was beginning to boil. "Then you come home from this date and you're all…" His mouth hung open, but he couldn't find the words to express what he wanted to say, instead he opted for, "You don't even know who this guy really is, Rae!"

"His name is Stephen. He works over at the bookstore in the downtown district of Jump City. Gar, I was surprised by all that happened tonight too. I only went to get Starfire to stop nagging and ended up having a great time. I've got to hand it to Star, she did her homework."

"Meaning…?" he asked, an emerald brow rising.

"Well, after the formal introductions were done and a bit of the awkwardness subsided, we managed to get into a conversation. He's going to be a freshman at Jump City University come fall and has plans to major in English with a minor in Philosophy. Stephen's family has owned the bookshop for decades and he plans to keep it in the family. I…" Raven paused, replaying the conversations in her head. It'd been a long time since she could honestly say that she'd had a good time…it'd been even longer since she'd had an amazing time, which the blind date amounted up to. "We just have a lot in common."

Gar snorted. "Uh-huh. What's his thoughts on you being a super hero?"

"He's intrigued by it," she answered simply.

"So, uh, did anything else happen on the date?"

Raven leveled her gaze at him. "Do you mean physically?" At his nod, she sighed. "Just a kiss on the forehead before we departed."

Gar clenched his teeth together. He knew he'd had to ask the question, but that didn't mean he needed to like the answer. All those late nights spent talking and finally becoming comfortable with each other over the past months had left Gar feeling euphoric and so happy that he hardly needed to take his pain medication. Something about being so close to Raven; the fact that she was letting him in, letting him get close had made the world suddenly seem like a better place.

"And he's so funny," she added suddenly. "I couldn't help but laugh and you know how rare it is that I actually laugh…"

Oh, yes, he knew. He'd known since the team had formed and he'd put a good amount of effort into getting her to laugh at one of his jokes. Gar felt his hand grip the side of the couch a little tighter.

"Funny, articulate, well educated, and he's old fashioned in all the good ways a guy can be." She let out another, more wistful sigh. "I can't wait to see him again."

Gar sat up straight. "You're seeing him again!?"

"Yes, I am. And don't try to talk me out of it. I really like him, Garfield. He's so…different. He doesn't care about my natural appearance, he just seems to like me for…well, me." A smile began to quirk up the sides of her lips. "I never thought I'd find somebody who would totally and completely accept me."

"Rav…"

She looked to the clock. "Wow, it's late. I didn't know we'd be out that long. Well, I'm going to turn in." She stood and rounded the corner of the couch. "Good night, Garfield." And with that, she left the common room.

Beast Boy sat on the couch, gritting his teeth together. He was angry, hurt, he felt betrayed… _Raven would never want to make you feel this way on purpose. Besides, what does it matter? You're only friends. Her going on a date shouldn't make you wig out so much, dude._

Her last sentence echoed throughout his mind: "I never thought I'd find somebody who would totally and completely accept me."

Suddenly a drearier feeling overcame him and his ears dropped as he let out a long, deep sigh.

"I do, Raven. I always have," he whispered aloud.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** Hey! So, here's another chapter. Things have been really, really crazy around here and I'm going to try to start fitting in more writing into my schedule. However, I cannot guarantee that my Muse will cooperate and that there will be rapid uploads.

That said, I'm interested in what you guys think should happen. I was thinking that I might make Stephen be Malchior in disguise…or perhaps one of Slade's new apprentices. But I want your input because you guys rock and are the reason I keep writing!

So please R&R!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Teen Titans.

* * *

Beast Boy scowled at the doors to the Common Room shut closed with a hissing sound, finalizing Raven's departure. He wasn't sure how long he spent glaring at the metal doors, but after a while he could feel sleep pulling at him. He turned back around, gaze moving to the floor.

"What's so great about that Stephen guy anyway?" he muttered. "One date and he's some sort of God to her or something."

He stood up and then jumped over the back of the couch. He just couldn't figure out what it took to get to Raven. He'd been trying to solve that mystery for years and now, in walks some stranger who gets her to lower her internal security defense system in one stinking night!

How long had he taken her insults? Her less than enthusiastic attitude towards him? Sure, they'd had some moments in the past where civility could definitely have been seen as more. Beast Boy let out a huff as he made his way out of the Common Room.

He shoved his hands into the pockets on his pants. "The last guy who did this to her broke her heart. How could she possibly forget about what Malchior had done to her?"

Beast Boy stopped and sighed deeply, shoulders dropping. He knew that she hadn't forgotten. Hell, how could anyone forget such a betrayal? At the thought of Terra's treachery, even he cringed and felt a shot of pain run through him. A hand raked through his spiky green hair.

"Ok, Beast Boy, you're an adult now. The least you can do is give this guy the benefit of the doubt. And besides, _when_ you finally meet him, you make sure that he understands that if he ever breaks her heart that you'll thrash him into the next millennium."

Satisfied with his decision, Beast Boy continued his journey to his room.

* * *

Raven didn't understand. She thought that Beast Boy would've been thrilled to find out that she had actually found someone who'd managed to make her feel special.

"_Remember, Raven, you two have been getting closer ever since his accident,"_ a voice in her head reminded.

She sighed. She had felt every emotion from confusion to jealousy to anger coming off of him. The only time she knew that guy would act in such a way was if they liked that certain person…or so Starfire had told her.

"But that's impossible," she said aloud, "He and I, we're not like that. We're just good friends, teammates."

Raven moved to lie down on her bed; fingers moving up to rub her temples gently. She'd enjoyed every conversation she'd had with Beast Boy while he'd been in the Med Bay. She'd come to realize that he'd grown up and had come to appreciate things that Raven had never thought he'd even take an interest in.

She closed her eyes, another sigh escaping and a memory wiggling its way free from her mind.

Raven had been walking down the hall to the Med Bay when she heard it – screaming. Her walk quickly turned into a run and she was soon standing next to Gar's bed. The other Titans had gone out on a mission, leaving Raven to look after her fellow teammate since they'd been getting along much better.

_His eyes were closed, brows knitted, trembling, and sweat trickled down his face. As her violet eyes moved downward she noticed that he didn't have a shirt on. Raven suddenly found herself hypnotized, her eyes watching a particular bead of sweat follow the defined lines of his six pack abs._

_Heat rose to her cheeks as she stood there, before another scream left him, bringing her back into reality. She quickly took hold of both his shoulders and began to shake him._

"_Beast Boy!" she shouted. He wasn't screaming, but he kept saying something over and over again. "Beast Boy! C'mon! Wake up!"_

_His emerald eyes opened and he shot up, letting out a slight sound of pain. "Ra-Raven?" he said in between puffs of breath. _

"_That was one hell of a nightmare there, Gar."_

"_Nightmare?" he looked at her confused and then nodded. "Right, nightmare. Yeah."_

_The two sat in silence and Raven once again found herself watching the sweat trickle down his pecks as he took in deep breaths. She wanted to say something but words caught in her throat and for some reason she found herself licking her lips, some part of her wondering what his skin felt like._

_She put more distance between them. "Do you need anything?"_

"_Honestly?" At her nod, he said, "Your company is what I need."_

As the memory faded away, unbidden images flashed through her mind. Sure, she'd admit that he was now an attractive twenty-year-old man and no longer the scrawny string bean he'd once been. She shook her head and then opened her eyes.

"No way. There's no way, Gar likes me in that way. And besides, Stephen is a great guy."

Then why did she suddenly feel so bad that she'd caused Garfield to feel all the emotions he had back in the Common Room?


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:** Hey! So, here's another chapter. I'm sorry that it's been forever since I've posted, but I've been quite busy and it's been hectic here.

Thank you to all my readers! You are the reason I keep writing! So please R&R!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Teen Titans.

* * *

After Raven had been out with Stephen a few more times – not to mention the fact that each time she'd returned, she was...happy – Gar was getting worried, which excelled when he saw that her uniform had turned pure white...again. Ok, so being worried probably wasn't exactly the emotion he should have been feeling for his good friend and teammate, but he just couldn't help it.

Even worse, she kept what Stephen was like a mystery to every one but him. She'd invite him up to the roof to talk and just when he thought that they'd have a conversation not involving her beau, his name would come up. It was just plain creepy. Gar had never seen her like this...it was like she'd been hypnotized...corrupted...bewitched. It was...it was...

"Beast Boy, I think that you being so concerned is unnecessary," Robin said, leaning back on the Common Room couch after listening to his teammate's rant for the past twenty minutes. "She's happy. You should be too."

"Yes!" came the chipper voice of Starfire. "You should be filled with glee at friend Raven's dating and having of the boyfriend! It is wondrous!" Her emerald eyes glanced over to Robin and their hands entwined.

"Yeah, man. I mean..." Cyborg began, and that's all he got out.

"Guys! Don't you remember what happened last time Raven was like this!? The guy tricked her, broke her heart, turned into a dragon, and nearly destroyed the tower!" His eyes flicked back and forth between his friends. "It doesn't worry you even a little bit??"

"First of all," Cyborg said, "Don't interrupt me again, you lil' grass stain! And second, Malchior was some dude...or dragon...trapped in a book. Third, Raven hasn't performed any spells."

"That you know of," Gar shot back.

"Beast Boy..." Robin said in an exasperated tone.

"Dudes! Look, I know I sound paranoid, bu..."

Robin stood. "Beast Boy, Raven is more mature now, more aware of herself and her powers. She's an empath. If she felt anything evil coming off of Stephen, I doubt that she'd be going out with him again."

Gar opened his mouth to argue then snapped it shut, crossing his arms over his chest, conceding defeat. Robin had a good point; Raven was different. She'd been able to feel the evil coming off of Terra. As he'd started to become lost in his thoughts, the other three had slowly but surely been making their way towards the door. The green Titan looked up, another reason to keep the conversation going quickly popping into his head.

"Wait!"

Three sighs sounded and they turned to face him.

"What is it now, friend Beast Boy?"

"Look guys, Raven hasn't performed any magic, but what about Stephen. I mean, he's...into that kind of thing." His fang bit his upper lip a bit. Raven had told him not to tell the others, but he couldn't overlook the fact that if Stephen was into magic...then when Raven wasn't around then maybe he was more prone to the Dark side.

"Excuse me?" Robin asked, that tidbit of information catching his interest.

Gar sighed. "She didn't want me to tell you guys. But the fact that her boyfriend just so happens to be into magic, well, it's been one of many things bugging me, and...well, who's to say that the magic he practices isn't always pure?"

"You think that he could be a threat?" Cyborg inquired.

Gar nodded. "We can't rule it out. Look how well that went with Terra. She had us all, ok, not all of us, but pretty much all of us fooled. No one wants a repeat of that and I certainly don't want Raven to get hurt..." At the three's odd and rather suspicious looks, he added, "We're like a family, guys. We watch out for one another." _Good save, Gar, _he thought to himself.

Robin ran a hand through his spiky, ebony hair. "What do you suggest then?"

"Suggest?" Two dark green brows rose in surprise.

"Yeah B. You're so hell bent on making sure Raven is safe, then you've got to have an idea on how we should go about it," Cy said.

"Well, I, uh..." His nervous habit of scratching the back of his neck occurred. "We haven't met the guy. That's the very least thing we can do, right, without ruffling Raven's feathers or making her think something is wrong?"

The other three Titans glanced to one another and then nodded. "Sounds like a good idea, B."

"But...?" _There's a 'but'. There's always a 'but' in a situation like this,_ he thought.

"While we agree with your suggestion, Beast Boy. Since you are much closer to Raven than any one of us, you will do the telling of, how do you say, the meet and greet?"

With that, the three finally walked out of the Common Room door, leaving Beast Boy to try to come up with a way to not let Raven's empath abilities read anything while he gave her one hell of a good explanation.

* * *

"Garfield?" Raven called after having knocked on his door for a good solid five minutes. When there was no answer, she teleported inside to find that he was not in his room. "Huh," she remarked. "It's not even noon and he's already up." _Where else could he be?_

She'd checked the Common Room, expecting to find him battling Victor furiously at some sort of videogame. But he hadn't been there. Raven had then gone to the gym, thinking perhaps that he'd be in there working out. Ever since he'd realized that his string bean like body could be sculpted into a mass of defined muscles once he'd turned nineteen, the gym had seemed to become his home away from home. But he hadn't been their either. She'd then phased up to the roof, but once again had come up empty. So, she'd assumed that he'd taken to sleeping in. Apparently, she been wrong, yet again.

So there Raven stood, in the middle of the room, eyes glancing about his room. It wasn't as it'd once been when he was younger. Remembering the shocking day that she'd seen a rather large stack of boxes outside his room, labeled "old" or some other title. She'd never been completely sure how he'd managed to pay for it all, but at the time she hadn't thought much of the change, chalking it up to being ordered to do so by Robin.

_Come to think of it, I've never really seen the remodeling job,_ Raven began to look more closely at the changes.

The bunk bed had been traded in for a rather nice queen sized bed. But, he was Beast Boy and therefore breaking away from his favorite color of green wasn't happening any time soon. His sheets had vertical lines on them, two thick strips of a forest colored green surrounded by two thinner strips of black, and underneath that was white. His pillowcases had the same pattern, except on the side that was open three inches of material was that forest green color and embroidered in purple was "B.B.". On top of his regular sheets was a rather large, lighter colored green fleece blanket that had pictures of different animals on it.

_Moving on, _she thought, her eyes scanning the room more. He'd actually learned how to use a laundry hamper...or three. One for the towels he would use, the other for his off duty clothes, and the other for his uniforms.

Raven opened his closet door, ready to shield herself from anything that might fall out and trap her underneath a huge pile of God knows what, but nothing happened, creaking one eye open, she was throughly shocked at the sight before her. Even his closet had been organized neatly and had stayed that way. _Impressive,_ she was subconsciously smiling as she thought it. His uniforms rested on their hangers to the right side of his closet, his many pairs of boots underneath them, and on the left hung his clothes he wore when crime actually _did_ take a holiday.

A hand reached out, running over the fabric of one of his uniforms. It had also changed. He insisted that, since he was older and much more buff than he'd been before that he'd needed a new uniform. She'd expected him to come back to Titan's Tower with the same style of uniform, only a couple sizes bigger and longer, since he'd gone through quite a growth spurt.

Now, everyone knew it took a lot to pry Raven's eyes away from a good book, but the moment he'd walked through the Common Room doors in his new outfit, everyone had stopped what he or she had been doing. Another smile tugged at her lips as she remembered.

_Beast Boy walked into the room, clearing is throat loudly to catch everyone's attention before a rather confident smile formed on his face. Raven had nearly dropped her book at the sight. She'd known he'd been working out but...wow. _

_The white, sleeveless top with a purple 'X' across the front not only showing off his well sculpted arms, but also gave one just a hint of those six pack abs that lie beneath the material. The team's insignia resting about twenty-inches down, the black 'T' in a circle also standing out. His gray gloves were now more like the kind that bike riders wore, his green skin standing out. _

_Black pants with two purple racing stripes down the sides drew her eyes to his side profile and they worked their way down from a good looking backside down the contours of defined, strong legs. Black leather, steel toed boots with buckles on outside side and a zipper on the inside of his legs reached up mid-calf, engulfing the lower part of his pants. _

_And finally, on his belt buckle, something that was truly Beast Boy had been put in – two green paw prints. Raven had never thought that a uniform could be so...enticing, but he'd proved her wrong, especially when he turned in a slow circle, showing off his new look, while the others "ooed" and "awed"._

Raven closed the closest door and looked over towards his desk. A laptop sat in the middle of the desk, a joystick not far from it. She moved over to the desk. A picture of the whole team sat to the far right, as did a few photos of when they'd gone to Tokyo. To the left, she found his collection of books, held up by two black panther book holders. She glanced through his collection – _The Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe_, _The Sonnets – Poems of Love by Shakespeare_, _White Fang & Call of the Wild by Jack London_,_ A Farwell to Arms by Hemmingway_,and many other books that she found fascinating. There were a few comic books at the end, but for the part, he hadn't been joking when he'd said he'd been reading the classics.

A large CD and DVD tower sat to the left of the desk, in the corner, but it still had plenty of room to rotate.

She sighed deeply and then her violet eyes caught sight of a leather bound book with no name. She picked it up, turning it over in her hands, just fiddling with it, before her curiosity got the best of her and she opened it to where a page was marked, and that's when she realized that she'd stumbled across Beast Boy's journal. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't put it down and so, even though she knew it was wrong (especially since she was being a hypocrit and invading his privacy like he always did hers), she read the entry:

_Dear Journal,_

_I never knew that being a good friend and listener could be so tough sometimes. Like recently. It feels like there's been a body switch or something like that, because now Raven seems to do all the talking while I just sit and listen. _

_I'm not completely complaining. I enjoyed our chats when I was in the Med Bay late at night. I felt like I was finally getting to know the real Raven. Seems I was wrong, because since she's been dating this Stephen guy, I'm not quite sure who she is. I mean, I know she's happy...and that should make me happy...but...I'm not. I want to be, but I can't bring myself to be. _

_Whenever she talks about Stephen, my heart aches and my stomach knots. All I can do is nod my head and hope that she changes the subject. It may sound mean and unfriendly, but...I care about her...in fact I think it's gone past that now...I think that I mi..._

"Raven?" Beast Boy asked, as he stepped into his room, a towel around his neck, and his swimtrunks still damp. He didn't see her slip his journal back into its hiding place. "What are you doing in here?"

"I was looking for you." She said, keeping her cool. "You're up early."

"Couldn't resist. It's a perfect day for a swim." He ran the towel through his hair. "I was just going to come looking for you."

"Why's that?" she inquired.

"Well, Robin and everyone else wants to meet Stephen, so we've agreed that you should bring him over on our usual movie night." His gaze met hers. "Gotta meet the dude sometime, right?"

"Right." She cleared her throat. "Well, I'll, uh, see if he'll agree to it."

"Sounds good." He smiled and she gave a nod. A moment of silence passed and then he met her gaze once more. "Uh, Rae, I'd kinda like to, uh, change..."

"Oh, right. Sorry." She didn't wait for his reply, instead she phased through the floor and then quickly went to her own room. Raven had a good feeling she knew what the rest of that sentence would've said if she hadn't been interrupted. She needed to meditate, to wrap her head around it – the possibility that Beast Boy, Garfield Logan, felt romantic feelings towards her.

* * *

So, what'd ya think? Please R&R! No Flames!


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: **Hey there everyone! Well, here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it! Please R&R. No flames.

Also, I'm still having a hard time coming up with a title for the story and am all ears for suggestions from my wonderful readers! You guys rock! So, either PM me your story title ideas or just add them in your review. =) This also goes for who Stephen should actually be – Malchior, only in another form, or Slade's newest apprentice? Once I get enough input, I'll make my decision.

And remember, you guys are the ones that keep me writing. If I didn't have your support, well, I wouldn't be able to write. So Thank You!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Teen Titans, I just own the idea for the story. Damn...

* * *

Raven traveled through Nevermore, hoping to find answers. How was it possible that Beast Boy, of all people, would have such feelings for her? Until his accident, she'd done nothing but put him down, push him away, threaten his life, and other terrible things.

"Heya, Ravey!" came the all too enthusiastic tone of Happy. "I knew you'd be stopping by sometime soon."

Raven sighed. "Hi, Happy. I was, uh, wondering..."

"Knowledge is where she always is, sitting with those big stacks of books, reading and reading, and never setting aside time to have fun." Happy's smile grew. "Speaking of fun, you've been indulging yourself in a bit of it lately, Ravey."

Raven crossed her arms over her stomach. "Yeah, Stephen's a nice guy. Not to mention intelligent, sweet, kind...."

Happy giggled.

A brow quirked upwards. "And what's so funny?"

"Silly, silly, Ravey. I wasn't talking about him."

"Then who were you talking about?" Raven asked, her brows knitting. Stephen made her feel...happy and content.

Happy rolled her eyes. "I'm talking about Beast Boy, of course!"

"Excuse me?"

Happy smiled. "You have fun with him. You always have, you just never began to truly...enjoy it until lately." Before Raven could speak, she continued, "But Knowledge can explain it better than me, so go find her." And then Happy disappeared.

Raven looked around the brightly colored landscape that was Happy's dominion. The emotion was right, even if it pained Raven to admit it. She had been having fun with Beast Boy...not like the others had known. If anything, Robin had only confronted her about the sudden change in the way her and the changeling interacted and she'd simply said that a middle ground had been found. Her leader had been content with the explanation.

She sighed deeply as she walked the long path through the domain. What was the real difference between having fun and being happy? Raven stopped walking, pondering the question. Perhaps it's because one triggers the other, thereby causing them to practically be intertwined. That was a reasonable explanation, was it not?

Take her first date with Stephen, she'd had fun _and_ had been happy.

_Raven had headed to the bookstore after receiving instructions on how to get there from Star. She'd heard of the shop, but had never ventured into it. As with most of the bookstores she'd gone to, Raven knew that it had closed early, since it was a Sunday evening. _

_Over the last couple of years, she'd acquired more civilian clothing. Cyborg had made her one of his nifty hologram rings so that she could blend in with a crowd, her violet hair turning into luscious black locks, her eyes turned to an incredible shade of blue, her pale skin actually held a bit of a tan to it, giving it a much healthier glow. _

_Having never been on a blind date – or any date for that matter – Raven had been stumped about what clothing would be appropriate. She highly doubted that the date would go as well as it went, so her wardrobe had been casual. Black cargo pants with a belt that almost matched the one she wore with her uniform, a dark navy blue tank top with a black raven tribal design on the front, with a black leather walking coat over it, and tasteful boots made up her outfit. The cargo pants allow for her to carry around her communicator in case some evil villain decided to reap havoc up Jump City occurred and the team needed her._

_She'd landed in an alleyway less than a block away from the shop, her hands diving into the pockets of her jacket as she exited the alleyway, and soon she stood at the entrance to the bookstore. Raven bit her lower lip, feeling nervous, and then walked into the shop. A bell rang as the door closed behind her and a tall, good-looking man looked up from what appeared to be a ledger. They held each other's gazes before he smiled warmly and came out from behind the counter._

"_Raven, I presume."_

_She nodded, extending her hand. "And you must be Stephen."_

"_I am." He took her hand, shaking it gently, and his eyes swept over her. "You look great."_

"_Thank you," she replied, a slight blush rising to her cheeks._

_Stephen chuckled a bit. "This may seem, odd, to you, but, I'd like to see the real Raven. Don't get me wrong, you look great..." A blush began to creep into his own cheeks. "But you look absolutely beautiful without that facade." _

_Raven's blush deepened and she fiddled with the hologram ring on her finger for a few minutes before slipping it off. She looked up to Stephen and his smile had grown. He mentioned something about needing to finish something up and that she could look around while he did so. Raven took him up on his request. And as she wandered through the bookshelves, peeping out around the corners of a few to take a look at the 6'0", athletic built, dark brown haired, and bluish-gray eyed Stephen, a smile slipped to her lips._

_From there the night had been perfect. And when his lips had connected with her forehead as he dropped her off on the beach, the large T shaped tower in the background, heat had risen to her cheeks. And then she'd agreed to meet him again, a few nights later._

Coming out of the memory, Raven began her journey once more, passing through Happy's domain, than Timid's, then Brave's, and so on. Searching for when she'd had fun with Beast Boy.

"Is it not obvious?" came a voice from her left.

Raven turned to face Knowledge. "If I knew, I wouldn't be here, now would I?" Raven countered.

Knowledge sighed heavily, moving to sit in a not so crowded area, and motion for Raven to sit down as well. Once she had, Raven ran a hand through her hair then let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.

"I'm not sure how to go about things. I agree that my friends need to meet Stephen. It's only right after he and I have been going out as long as we have."

"But?" Knowledge asked.

"Now that I know how Beast Boy feels, or at least I have a good guess of how he truly feels, I..."

"You do not wish to hurt him any further." Raven nodded. "Raven, while he does love you, Beast Boy is doing what is right. Perhaps he has to convince himself that Stephen is in fact a suitable partner for you. Do not forget, his animal instincts tell him first and foremost to protect those he loves."

"I'm more worried about him being jealous."

Knowledge nodded. "And your concern is warranted. A man who has lost that which he wishes for most to another can act or will be jealous. But this is not all you are worried about."

"I don't know what you mean," Raven replied, glancing away, looking to the dirt floor.

"Raven, do not try to fool those who are what makes you." Knowledge removed her glasses, cleaning them, and then placing them back on. "The fun Happy was talking about, was what you've felt and are still feeling with Beast Boy. Your middle ground has been found, which has lead to plenty of wonderful conversations and the like."

"That doesn't mean I'm attracted to him or anything."

Knowledge sighed then stood, reaching her hand out to Raven. "Come with me. It seems the only way you will understand is to see."

Raven took Knowledge's hand and then began to follow her. "See? See what, exactly?"

* * *

"And she just agreed to ask him?" Robin said, rather surprised at how smoothly everything had gone between Beast Boy and Raven.

Gar nodded. "Yeah. Rae said that she'd ask him."

"Wow, B. I thought for sure that she would've yelled at your or something," Cyborg admitted.

"Yes. I even prepared the bandaging for any wounds that she might have come to inflict upon you," Star added.

Gar frowned. So much for his friends having faith in him. "She agreed that we needed to meet him. Mission accomplished."

"Don't you mean phase one is accomplished?" Robin asked, meeting Gar's gaze.

"Well, uh...." He sighed. "Doesn't hurt to run a background check, right? I mean, Cy, could check the Jump City High data base for any Stephen's in their Senior year there who'll be going on to Jump City Community College. And, I could use my hologram ring to maybe go see if that bookstore really exists..."

Robin's hand rubbed his chin, before he gave a nod. "I suppose that'd be fine. Just be careful. If this guy does pose a threat, well..."

"I know," came Gar's voice. "It'll take a lot of convincing to get Raven to believe it." He turned his back to them, looking out the large window in the Common Room. "Take it from someone who knows..."

* * *

A robed figure moved down the old, cobblestone steps with haste. His hands fumbled with the keys to open the old door, but once the right one was found, he slid it into the lock, and the click that occurred told him the door was unlocked.

He stepped inside and then shut the door behind him. Eyes gazed around at the many burning candles set in a perfect circle around the outlined area, each one hitting one point of the pentagram. He moved over to a table, pouring the final ingredients into a bowl. A whimper sounded and he looked to his left, a steely cold look upon his face as he gazed over at the bound and gagged girl in the corner.

"Do not worry," came the voice, just above a whisper, and he moved towards girl, the bowl in his hand. "This will all be over soon." He set the bowl down the bowl onto the cobblestone floor, then reached behind him, producing a ceremonial dagger. The girl's eyes widened, but before she could do anything, the man's lightning fast reflexes slit the girl's throat, and then moved the bowl to catch the right amount of drops.

A satisfied smirk formed on his lips, placing the bowl on the floor once again, before taking the dagger and carving a pentagram into her forehead. Picking up the bowl once more, he moved back over to the table, stirring and mashing everything.

_Soon,_ he thought. _Soon._

* * *

Dun! Dun! Dun! Cliffy, I know. So, what'd ya think? Please R&R! No flames!


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: **Hey there everyone! Well, here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it! Please R&R. No flames.

Also, I'm still having a hard time coming up with a title for the story and am all ears for suggestions from my wonderful readers! You guys rock! So, either PM me your story title ideas or just add them in your review. =) And remember, you guys are the ones that keep me writing. If I didn't have your support, well, I wouldn't be able to write. So Thank You!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Teen Titans, I just own the idea for the story. Damn...

* * *

Raven was throughly confused as she looked at a rather...interesting looking new emotion of hers with a perplexed look on her face.

"This is who you needed to see," Knowledge said and she was soon joined by the other emotions – save for Rage, who refused to come near the new emotion.

Happy ran over to the emotion and hugged her, both of them breaking into a fit of giggles. "Isn't she great, Ravey?"

"Uh, yeah, sure...who is she!?" Raven asked, arms crossing over her chest.

"Raven," the new emotion's voice was as smooth as silk. Her cape was a rosy red, the color of true passion. "I am a the emotion that appeared only once before, many, many years ago. Before _he_ broken your heart..."

Raven's violet eyes widened. _No, it can't be. It's not possible, she can't be..._ "Love."

She nodded. "Yes, it is I."

"So, I'm...I'm in love?"

Again, Love nodded.

"No, that's not possible. I'm not in love with Stephen. It's too soon. I mean, yeah, we've been on wonderful dates, and I do feel something for him, but..."

"What makes you think she speaks about Stephen?" Happy asked, a smirk forming on her lips.

Raven was getting aggravated. "Who else would it be??"

Love sighed deeply and then moved to place a hand on Raven's shoulder gently. "Raven, while you have feelings for Stephen...you have feelings for another as well, stronger feelings."

"You-you aren't suggesting that I'm in love with Garfield, are you?"

"Only you can confirm such a thing," Knowledge interjected. "Keep your mind open, Raven."

Suddenly Raven found herself alone and in the next moment, she was back in her room, sitting upon her bed, feeling more puzzled than before. _So, I'm in love. But I'd know if I was in love. Certainly if I was in love with Beast Boy._

* * *

Gar had spent most of the day learning all he could about Raven's boyfriend. And just as his gut and instincts had told him, something was definitely wrong. According to the last owner of the building the a man had bought the building only three months ago and soon after the bookstore had opened.

Stephen telling Raven that the bookstore had been there for years as well as in his family for years – Lie.

As far as Stephen Malcolm, he hadn't come into existence until about three months ago, the same time the building had been purchased, and as far as him having any next of kin: No such thing. – Another lie.

Gar wasn't sure what he was going to do. Poor Raven. That's all he could think about. This guy was a total fraud. He ran a hand through his spiky green hair and then stared down into the water from where he sat on the ledge of the roof of Titan's Tower.

The others – mainly Robin and Cyborg – wanted to tell Raven right away. Gar just couldn't let them do it. Not yet. The guy had secrets, so he'd spent a little over an hour convincing them that they should still go with their plan of meeting Stephen. He let out a deep sigh.

"Beast Boy?" came Raven's voice, causing him to jump slightly, but not so much as to cause him to fall from his perch. "What are you doing up here all alone?"

"Just thinking," he replied, but his tone was tinged with...sadness?

Raven's brows knitted. This definitely wasn't like him at all. She sighed and then moved to sit beside him. His ears had drooped as he seemed to get further lost in thought.

"Beast Boy, what's wrong?"

"Raven, I..." he looked to her, meeting her gaze, and then looked away. "Nevermind."

"C'mon Beast Boy, talk to me." A moment of silence passed. "Please?"

He meet her gaze once more and then gave a single nod. "Ok." He moved so that he was sitting now with his back to the water. "Rae, I know you're with Stephen and...well, I..."

Suddenly Beast Boy's eyes widened and he grasped his chest, gasping for air. He felt like he was being torn apart.

"Beast Boy?" Raven asked, concerned. When he hit the floor of the roof, she knelt down beside him. "Beast Boy! What's going on?!? Beast Boy!"

He began to convulse and Raven teleported them down to the Med Bay. She then hollered over the intercom for the others before moving over to the still convulsing Beast Boy.

"Beast Boy! Beast Boy! Please! Please God, if you can hear me, Beast Boy, don't leave me! Please don't leave me now! I need you!" she pleaded, feeling tears beginning to sting the back of her eyes.

* * *

The man sat in the middle of the candles, the blood of the virgin girl he'd spilled placed on the left side of his chest, just above his heart. The same dagger was in his other hand, hovering above his abdomen, the tip pointing towards him.

And then a rich, accented voice began to chant: "Bestia ex vir , vir ex Bestia , ex viridis indignus unus is donum , largior is super mihi. Bestia ex vir , vir ex Bestia , ex viridis indignus unus is donum , largior is super mihi. Bestia ex vir , vir ex Bestia , ex viridis indignus unus is donum , largior is super mihi."

The dagger pierced his abdomen as he carved a Pentagram into his own skin, the chanting becoming louder and louder. The candle's flames blazed higher and then the flames began to change colors, until they turned black. The room began to shake and then a burst of energy shot through the Pentagram then illuminated the bloody handprint on his chest.

And when it was done, the man sat there, panting, a menacing laugh escaping him, the Pentagram healing and another mark appearing.

"It. Is. Done."

* * *

Translation of the spell: "Animal out of man , man out of Animal , out of green unworthy one this gift , to lavish this over, upon me."

Please R&R. No Flames!


	10. Chapter 10

**AN:** Sorry for the lateness in updating. Also, sorry for a short chapter. I'll try to make it up to you guys with the next one…hopefully. Please R&R! Oh! And thank you to all my reviewers! You guys rock!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Teen Titans.

* * *

As the man's menacing laughter began to die down, his new, keen senses could already smell the very distinguishable scent of fire, smoke, and brimstone. He stood from his place on the cobblestone floor, eyes closed, and a triumphant smile on his face.

"You have succeeded in your spell," rumbled a voice that echoed from every side. As the man opened his cobalt blue eyes, the looked up into two sets of larger red ones. The heat that surrounded him licked at his skin and a quick glance down confirmed that he was in fact standing on a pedestal in the middle of a flowing river of lava.

He knelt down, head bowing. "I have done as you requested, Master."

The voice let out a bone chilling laugh. "Good. Very good. Show me."

Once again, he stood, thought of something, and only seconds later, did a pure white wolf stand before the set of eyes. Another laugh escaped his Master and he shifted back to his human form.

"The Changeling is out of the picture then..." the voice began, but noticed his minion shift a bit uncomfortably. Red eyes narrowed dangerously. "What is it?"

"I had to change the spell a bit, my Master. In order for me to gain control of the Changeling's more...primal side...he _is_ still with his powers..."

"But...?" the voice cut in sharply.

The man smirked, clearly pleased with himself. "His ability to tape into them, well, it must go through me. I can morph him into anything I..." He caught his slip and quickly corrected himself. "Anything you wish him to...the best part being, that whatever he does in said form shall also be controlled by your desire."

A long silence passed between the two and just when the man was beginning to get a little bit nervous, his Master spoke.

"I am impressed. This will certainly be most interesting. His powers will destroy, not only his team, but..." He laughed. "Yes, you have done very well."

* * *

Gar had stopped convulsing once Victor and the others had ran into the infirmary. He'd gone eerily still and pale...which was definitely something, seeing how he was forest green from head to toe. Everyone had held their breath as Victor had taken Gar's vitals.

After announcing that Gar wasn't dead and that he'd most likely be unconscious for quite some time, Victor decided that testing for whatever he could find was the only way to go about the mysterious happening. By the time Raven had finished explaining what had happened to Victor and the to Dick and Star, she found herself mentally and emotionally exhausted.

Despite this, however, Raven refused to leave, even during Victor's tests. Whatever had happened to Garfield was not good.

"You're sure you can't feel anything coming off of him?" Victor asked her for at least the tenth time. Raven simply shook her head. She couldn't feel any of his emotions from him, which was bothering her. Even when he teammates slept, she'd been able to feel their different waves of emotions come off them. It was the same when Garfield had been unconscious the first time around.

She'd heard of spells that could block an empath's powers, but such a spell being done from a far off location? A very powerful Mage would've had to performed it. _But why Garfield? _As that question roamed her mind for God only knows how long, Raven had managed to keep moving her chair closer and closer to her friend's sleeping form.

Raven had become so use to the stillness of the room and the different paths her thoughts had been taking her down, she hadn't noticed when Beast Boy's eyes had opened. He groaned and his hands moved to rub over his face.

"Man, what the hell happened?"

Without a word, Raven moved over to Beast Boy and enveloped him in a large hug. Stunned, Gar wasn't exactly sure what to do, but after a few seconds, he wasn't complaining and hugging her back tightly, letting a goofy happy smile form on his lips.

* * *

**AN:** Please R&R! I really want opinions about this chapter. I'm not sure where I'm actually going with this, so...yeah. A lil' help from you guys would be wonderful.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN:** To all my loyal readers, thank you for your patience and awesome reviews! You guys keep by creative juices flowing, even when writers' block pops up for an unpleasant stay. You. Guys. Rock!!!

Unfortunately, I had laptop problems and my hardrive crashed. Now, it has yet to be recovered, along with most of my latest fanfiction and other important documents. I'll keep you all updated and let you know when I'm able to take it in to see if it can be repaired. Think good thoughts for me!

Also, IRL has been utter chaos. Seasonal insomnia sucks big time...as does a constant ring-around-the-household of the same illness.

However, I will try my best to update as often as possible.

**Disclaimer:**I do not own the Teen Titans…if I did, the show would still be going.

* * *

"Guys, come on! I'm fine! Really. Look…" Beast Boy gestured with his hands to himself. "I'm here, talking and even whining…I'm just fine."

"Beast Boy, you collapsed for no reason at all," Cyborg said, watching his good friend. "We all know that you ate lunch, because we can all smell your nasty Tofu when it's cooking and every test came back normal…"

"And what happened to you wasn't normal," Raven cut in. Out of the other teammates, Raven stood the closet to Beast Boy.

"I agree with friend Raven and Cyborg," Starfire said.

All eyes looked to their leader, who nodded in agreement. "As do I. Sorry, Beast Boy, but the infirmary is where you're going to be staying and looked after."

Beast Boy shook his head, arms crossing over his chest. "Uh-uh. No freaking way am I staying in here again. Cyborg, all your tests say that I'm as fit as a fiddle, right?" At his friend's nod, he continued. "And Raven, you say you couldn't sense anything wrong with me." He noticed her hesitation before glancing away.

"What are you getting at BB?" Cyborg asked.

"I'll compromise," he answered and then scowled when everyone but Raven gave him a disbelieving look. "Hey! I'm capable of compromising."

Robin let out a deep sigh and raked a hand through his hair. "I want to hear this compromise of yours and it better be good."

Beast Boy nodded, moving to sit up a little more. "Look, what happened…was rather freaky. I'll admit that it got me to wig. But I can't stand another stay in this infirmary. So, I still want to be on active duty, but I'll let you decide what battles I can and cannot handle. Sound all right with you, Rob?"

Robin considered this for a moment then slowly nodded. "Ok, seems fair enough. But you'll have to train for the next two weeks before I start handing out missions to you."

"All right," Beast Boy agreed, a little begrudgingly. "I want to stay in my room. You guys can take shifts, as I know you were already planning to do…and I'll even let Cy hook me up with one of those contraptions of his to monitor my heart and what not. I spent months in a hospital and our own infirmary to last me the next five years of my life. Besides…" Emerald eyes looked to Raven. "If someone's in-between shifts and let's say my vitals start to spike, Rae is only a few feet down and across the hall." He turned his attention back to his other teammates. "It's a win/win situation."

The other three Titans were silent as they thought this over and then Robin nodded, followed by Cyborg, Star, and Raven. A smile formed on his lips.

"So, who wants to baby-sit the grass stain first?"

"I will," Raven said and then shifted a bit uncomfortably under the gazes of her friends. "Like Beast Boy pointed out, I'm closer to him in proximity and even without one of Cyborg's inventions I could sense if something was happening to him."

"Okay. Raven has the first shift for the evening. Cyborg, you start at your turn at dawn."

When they'd all agreed on a schedule, everyone aside from Raven left the room and Beast Boy didn't need his animal senses to tell him that something was bothering her on a big scale. After a moment of silence that seemed to stretch on forever, the changeling cleared his throat.

"Guess that you're doomed to forever watched over me," he said, trying to lighten up the mood.

Suddenly she rounded on him, violet eyes meeting his gaze. "You think that this is funny, Beast Boy!? You could've died! And it would've been the second time that I would've lost you!" She stopped, her eyes going wide. She'd never intended to let the last part slip.

"Rae," Beast Boy said, his tone soft. "I know I managed to rattle you real good, but, you're not going to lose me…"

Raven turned her back to him. "You don't know that, Beast Boy."

He sighed and then reached out a hand, letting it rest on her arm gently. "Raven, you saved me. Got me here just in time. You know what scared me the most when I felt that pain?"

"What?" she asked, her tone having become softer and it wavered slightly, as if she were holding back tears.

"I was afraid that I'd never see you again," He admitted. "Not seeing you again took precedence over everything else." He watched her stance relax slightly. "You mean a lot to me, Raven." _More than you know, _he thought to himself. Hell, she still thought that Stephen Malcolm was a real person and her boyfriend.

She sighed. "Get dressed, Gar. And then I'm going to take you to your room."

He didn't reply, but instead moved off of the bed carefully and changed into the gray sweatpants and black wifebeater that had been brought in for him by one of the other teammates.

* * *

Raven sat on the other side of Beast Boy's bed as he slept, having fallen asleep mid-way through a rather long graphic novel he'd been reading. Her mind was a whirlwind of different emotions and she knew that meditation was in order. Besides, he was sleeping, what's the worst that could happen? _Maybe him snoring loud enough to break my concentration,_ Raven thought, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

She got into the lotus position and began to chant her mantra, feeling herself beginning to calm down a little more. When she opened her eyes, she was in Nevermore, only something felt…different. As she wandered, looking for her other emotions, she began to feel more and more at ease.

"Ravey!" Came the chipper voice of Happy. "We knew you'd come back here to visit us soon!"

"You did?"

"Of course!" she said. "Well come on, my new best buddy wants to speak with you."

Raven didn't need to be told who that was and so, she followed Happy until Raven found herself standing in front of Love.

"I'll let you two chat," Happy said and then disappeared.

Raven looked to Love and raised a questioning brow. "And what else do we have to talk about?"

Love smiled, meeting Raven's gaze. "About your true feelings for Beast Boy, of course."

* * *

Brimstone. Smoke. Ash. The burning of flesh. Beast Boy's nose smelt it all. It wasn't uncommon that his senses were heightened in a dream…but as he looked about, feeling the fire around him lick dangerously close to his skin, an uneasy feeling crept into his stomach.

"My, my, how long it's been," came a smooth, accented voice. "So my sweet Raven and the Beast have come to have feelings for one another. How cute."

"You…but, she locked you away in that book!" Beast Boy said.

A chuckle escaped him. "Silly creature, my new Master set me free so that we might use you to his biding."

Beast Boy growled and shook his head, "I'll never help you or your Master."

A booming chuckle caused Beast Boy to turn around, looking upon four red eyes. "Your resistance is futile, underling…and what I wish to happen shall come to pass. You cannot defeat me on your own."

No. It wasn't true. This was just a bad dream. No, this was a nightmare. Both of them were gone. Gone and lost forever as it should be.

"Face it, changeling," he moved closer to the sweating Beast Boy. "Through my magic and his strength, you'll be nothing but a slave. Besides, your more…primitive half is what we're after."

"No! I won't!" He shouted, but they just laughed at him. "I won't do it! I won't let you use that…that Beast to harm anyone! I'll tell Raven and the others what you've done to me."

Malchior laughed. "You are still a fool. Do you really think that we'd allow you tell anyone about this? Part of the fine print of the spell, Beast Boy, you cannot tell anyone about the spell upon you. In fact, when you wake up, you won't even remember this little chat."

* * *

**AN:** Please let me know what you think! R&R! Pretty please?


	12. Chapter 12

**AN:** To all my loyal readers, thank you for your patience and awesome reviews! You guys keep my creative juices flowing, even when writers' block pops up for an unpleasant stay. You. Guys. Rock!!!

Still no luck with recovering my old data. Big bummer. I'm still hoping it'll be recovered though.

**Disclaimer:**I do not own the Teen Titans…if I did, the show would still be going, Robin would've got with Star sooner and Beast Boy and Raven would have become a couple after Terra's demise.

* * *

"No!" the growl like shout came from Beast Boy as he bounded up from the position he'd been lying down in, the graphic novel he'd been reading crashing to the ground. His sudden outburst also caused a very peaceful Raven to be torn from Nevermore and flung back into the real world with a yelp as a stinging pain tore across her shin.

His eyes darted about, searching for possible enemies, his nostrils flared as they tried to make out an unfamiliar scents, his ears strained for foreign noises, and his hands…wait, why were they so large and heavy? In that moment, Beast Boy stopped evaluating everything around him and began to look down at his heavy hands, noticing that they'd morphed into the paws of…_The Beast. Bloody claws of the Beast. No…no…no! _

Raven held a hand over her bleeding shin, putting the right amount of pressure on the wound, but violet eyes fixated on the changeling as he looked down to his large paws. Emerald eyes went wide and a wave of panic washed over him so strongly that the wave felt like he'd drown her in it. She'd never felt him like this.

"No…no…I…it can't be…" Beast Boy began to mumbled aloud to himself, the presence of Raven forgotten momentarily as he tried his best to reach into the back of his mind and pull the dream he'd just had forward. He tried for what felt like an eternity, but it had long since been wiped clean.

Ravens felt it all, the turmoil raging inside her friend…panic and fear the strongest of the emotions he was emitting. "Beast Boy…." He didn't look to her for his Emerald eyes were still glued to his large paws. _Just get him to calm down, Raven and you'll both be fine._ "Beast Boy," she said again, this time louder, and dared to use her free hand, placing it upon his shoulder.

The sudden realization that someone was touching him caused Beast Boy to turn and snarl in such a way, a rabid Pitbull would've backed down and ran off with its tail between its legs. He raised his gaze to the intruder and instead of being met with eyes that held nothing but the threat of doom, Beast Boy was met with those of Raven.

He blinked, slowly, the world coming back into focus, and he felt his thundering heart begin to slow. He looked around. No brimstone. No flames. No enemies. His features softened and Beast Boy was finally able to look at her, concentrate once more.

"Raven, I'm…" He stopped as his nose picked up the metallic scent of blood and he looked down, seeing the damage he'd bestowed upon her. "Oh God, Raven…I…I didn't mean…I never would…Argh!" Beast Boy slammed a fist down onto the mattress before guilt began to wash over him. "I'd never harm you on purpose, I swear.

"I know, Beast Boy. I know," Raven said soothingly, watching her friend as he did something she'd never thought he'd do in her lifetime – pull himself into the stronghold of walls that'd been newly rebuilt in a matter of seconds. She frowned and, forgetting about her injured leg, scooted closer to him. "Beast Boy…"

He shook his head and quickly pulled his shoulder from her grasp. "No, Raven. Please. You have to stay away from me."

"What?" she asked. _Something is very, very wrong. And I don't need my powers to tell me so._ "Why? Beast Boy, talk to me. Please." Begging? She was actually begging for him to talk to her? Well, she knew they'd been getting along, but…_well, I suppose Hell's about due for it's frosty time._

Once again, Beast Boy shook his head. "I've hurt you. Because of me, you're wounded."

"Hey, I'll be all right. I can heal myself." she scooted closer again and felt him tense. "Beast Boy, you were reacting to a nightmare."

"No…no, Rae…" He said, meeting her gaze. "I…everything inside me is telling me it's not a nightmare. I think…I think it'd be best if…you informed the others to make up a cot in the basement…" He let out a long breath. "Inside the cage."

Robin had commissioned Cyborg to construct an indestructible cage in the basement of Titans Tower after Beast Boy's first rampage when he'd become "The Beast". Star had tested it, using her alien strength to make sure that the bars couldn't be broken, even with Beast Boy's strength amped up. It'd past all the tests.

Raven's eyes widened. He hated the cage more than watching Cyborg shovel down a few platefuls of meat products. Again she moved closer to him. "No. I won't do that, Beast Boy."

"It's for your own safety…my safety…the team's…Jump City's safety." He held her gaze. "I'm not joking around, Raven."

"Beast Boy…" Raven suddenly found herself placing her hand on his cheek, her thumb caressing back and forth gently. "You're not an animal…not technically…remember? Here, feel…" She took his one hand and placed it upon the healing wound. "See? I'll be just fine."

"Raven…"

"Beast Boy, I'm not going to have you locked up. I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself."

He sighed deeply, his eyes downcast. "No matter how hard I try, I can't remember the dream. But inside me, I have little red warning alarms sounding. It's not paranoia. Something's happening to me. I mean, I morphed into…_it_…even though Cy gave me an antidote."

She sighed. "I'll look after you, I promise."

"Raven…"

"Garfield…"

The sound of his real name got his attention and he looked to her once more. "You trust me, right?" At his nod, she continued. "So if I thought you were a true risk factor to all of us, I'd do what you want. But I'm not going to. Not now."

"But you will if you feel I am a risk, right?"

She watched him for a long moment before giving a single nod. "Yes."

"Well, uh, all right. I just….if this happens again, I want you to throw me in there and lock away the key…."

"You have my word, Garfield."

Beast Boy cracked a very small smile. "Thanks, Rae."

She smiled gently. "No problem, Gar."

Seeing that smile on her face, one of compassion and kindness, Beast Boy felt something grow inside him, a boldness he hadn't felt before. His own hand moved to lie upon hers that rested on his cheek, entwining their digits. He felt his heart beginning to pound once again, but in a good way, and heat spread through his cheeks.

Raven couldn't help but watch him, but to her surprise she didn't tense or even want to move away from him. After all, she had been in the midst of a rather important talk with Love when Beast Boy had pulled her from Nevermore. She bit her bottom lip – a nervous habit of hers – and felt a blush rise to her cheeks. Raven wanted to say something, but no words would form.

Beast Boy leaned in and pressed his lips to hers a bit tentatively at first, expecting Raven to force him back with her powers, but when no such thing happened, Beast Boy's boldness grew and the kiss deepened. A slight moan escaped Raven as the kiss grew more passionate and heated, her arms wrapping around his neck, holding him there to her.

Beast Boy wrapped his own arms about her and he never wanted the moment to end. But alas, it did when someone knocked on his door. Inwardly groaning, Beast Boy reluctantly broke the kiss, only to find himself staring into her lovely violet eyes.

"Raven…"

"Beast Boy…"

The knock got louder.

"Yo! B.B.! Raven! You guys ok?" came Cyborg's voice.

Raven cleared her throat and turned her attention to the door. "We're fine." Her gaze slipped to Beast Boy's and a smile formed on her lips once more. "We're just fine."

"All right. I just wanted to check on both of you before I turned in for the night."

"Night Cy!" Beast Boy called.

"Night you two! Play nice now," Cyborg said.

Beast Boy waited until he could no longer hear his friend's footfalls before looking back to Raven. The two of them watched each other in silence for a long time before they found themselves melded back together. And then, Gar remembered a certain someone. He broke their passionate kiss and looked into her eyes.

"Raven, there's something you need to know about Stephen…"

Raven's brows furrowed. She'd actually forgotten about her…boyfriend. "Uh, ok…?"

"He's…Well, he's…" Beast Boy found the words getting stuck. "He's not…"

"Not what?" Raven asked. She really didn't want to talk about Stephen. After all, she finally understood what Love had been telling her – she _was_ in love with Beast Boy.

"Beast Boy, stop stammering," she said and tried to hold back a laugh at the look on her friend's face. "We're over. Stephen and I, I mean."

"You mean…you mean you want to be with me?"

She smiled wider. "Yes. Yes, I do, Beast Boy."

A large grin formed and he pressed his lips back to hers hungrily.

But little did Beast Boy know that this was exactly what their enemies wanted...

* * *

Read and Review please! I hope you all liked the chapter! Also, I'd like to know if you think that all of this did in fact occur or was a ploy...?


	13. Chapter 13

**AN:** Hello all, I'm back! I am so sorry for having to put this story on hold for so long, but there was so much negative IRL stuff going on that I couldn't focus on this storyline.

However, I'm going to try to do my best to update.

My confidence has gone through the ringer, so any positive feedback, as always, is really appreciated!

So, here it goes…

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Teen Titans…damnit.

* * *

**One week later**

"Jump City has been thrown into a sea of fear due to recent attacks that have claimed the lives of four people. The attacks have been believed to be caused by some large animal.

However, talk of the attacks being linked to something more sinister seems to be a theory most citizens agree on."

The news report caused the already cold, vice-like feeling in Gar's stomach to tighten painfully, making a wave of lightheadedness and nausea pass over him. Gar looked about his room, relieved that he hadn't been allowed to go on the mission his friends were currently fighting.

"Some large animal," he repeated before raking a hand through his spiked green hair. After the first body had been found, Garfield had all but run down to the reinforced cage that was down in the basement and locked himself in. However, something, a voice in the back of his mind told him to stay strong and not give in to his fears.

Four. Four innocent people dead now. _How many more will die?_ He wondered and he began to pace the room furiously, trying to pull memories that only seemed like far away dreams back to him.

Each night an attack happened, the next morning Gar awoke with no memory of what he'd done the night before. Even worse, one night he guessed that he'd probably slipped out of Raven's room to fulfill the urge of his primal side.

He'd pleaded with Raven to lock him away, despite the part of him that hated the idea. He came to realize that Raven held too much faith in him. She was in love with a monster. No, much worse than that, he was a murderous pawn.

Their relationship was kept a secret and the speed at which it went was progressing rather quickly. After every death had been announced, he'd made sure to stay far from her, frightened that Raven would sense his inner turmoil. But not once did she say anything.

Garfield guessed that whoever was forcing him to do such horrible things had made damn sure that someone who could read emotions were given faulty ones.

He rolled his shoulders and then rotated his neck. He was tense and Gar felt as though something was moving under his skin, begging to be released, as the light of day began to fade more and more.

If he left, he knew he would kill. If he stayed, he knew he would kill and be killed. Weighing his options, Beast Boy finally gave in and marched down to the basement after grabbing a few graphic novels to read to pass the time and a syringe full of a strong sedative.

* * *

"Robin, watch out!" Cyborg yelled to his friend, aiming his sonic cannon at their foe. He let a blue bolt blaze out and smiled widely when the shot hit its target.

The black robed figure was tossed back a good six feet and all seemed to go still. Raven hovered in the air, panting in sync with her friend's ragged breaths. Something didn't feel right to her and she found herself glancing to the setting sun. When the figure failed to move, she advanced upon it, keeping in pace with her teammates.

"Is he finally counted out?" Starfire asked, looking to Robin.

"Yeah. It seems like he's finally down for the count," Robin said. "Good shot, Cy."

Cyborg shrugged. "It was nothing."

Raven listened to her friends and had to bite back the rather sarcastic remark after she'd been picked to take the man to jail. With a rather tired sigh, she used her magic to encase the figure…and to her surprise, all that was left was the black robe and a single paper rose.

A lump formed in her throat and her friend's gazes had set on her. A chill ran down her spine and before any questions could be asked, Raven opened a portal that took her to her room in Titans Tower.

She knelt in front of the trunk she'd locked the book that had once held Malchior, the betrayer that had hurt her most. Pale hands opened the book and for a very long moment, Raven stared at the now blank pages...

* * *

Ok, let me know what you think. I'm not too sure about this chapter.

Please Read & Review! No flames please!


	14. Chapter 14

**AN:** Hello all. I'm so sorry for not updating more often with this story. I'm trying to go through all my stories and update with a new chapter.

IRL drama and what not has been making it hard to get my Muse to cooperate with me.

As always, reviews and positive feedback are much appreciated. Sorry for such a short chapter.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Teen Titans.

* * *

Beast Boy's sensitive ears picked up the sound of footfalls on the top floor of the tower, causing him to dog ear the page he'd been on and place his graphic novel to the side. As he went to move, Gar felt his muscles beginning to cramp, so he stretched and yawned only to feel a shockwave of pain run through his body. The pain was like a knife in his ribs and it stole his breath away, his arms instinctively wrapping around himself to shield himself from any further attack.

He focused as hard as he could on his breathing, deep breaths in and out, just like Raven had taught him when she'd thought that him trying to meditate would help contain what he was so afraid to let loose.

_Focus, B.B., focus. Don't let it out,_ he thought as he kept looking at the floor. He felt like he was fighting something stronger than just the Beast wanting to roam, a power that he couldn't put his finger on or even try to explain to Raven due to suddenly becoming tongue tied as though bound by a subconscious gag order he had never given himself.

The pain shot through stronger this time, causing him to crumple onto the stone floor, teeth gritting against the agony and the ripple effects from his fighting caused more shocks of pain and then everything went black…

* * *

"How is it possible that friend Raven has not known that Malchoir escaped?" Starfire asked as she walked with her teammates into the tower.

"I think Beast Boy might've been right," Robin admitted. "I think that Stephen might have something to do with this. Being into dark magic."

Cyborg sighed deeply. "Rob, I think that Beast Boy's suspicions are right on as well. But something tells me that Malchor and Stephen are one in the same."

Raven had sensed her friends arriving in the tower so she had phased through the floors to let them know that Malchoir was indeed gone. She had been about to round the corner when she heard her friends talking. Beast Boy had had theories about this and hadn't told her?

_Probably to keep you from getting hurt by Stephen in the beginning,_ she thought, remembering how he'd acted that first night he'd phased and cut her. She was about to move out of the spot she'd been eavesdropping from when a very familiar and chilling howl came from the basement.

Raven felt her heart stop beating for just a split second and then phased down to the basement.

Large green paws fought against the bars in a frenzied need for freedom, saliva slipped down along the Beast's fangs savagely, however, there was one sight that made Raven's heart stop for the second time that night – two sets of red eyes replaced Beast Boy's emerald eyes.

_Beast Boy…No…_

* * *

**AN:** Ok, let me know what ya think. Reviews appreciated. No flames, please.


End file.
